Wendigo
by Jet556
Summary: Wendigo: A cannibalistic giant in the folklore of the Algonquin peoples; a person who has been transformed into a monster by the consumption of human flesh.
1. Pyrexia Induced Incubus

**Welcome everyone. "American Anthropophagist" was made up for this story, so don't go looking for it. Enjoy and review.**

 **Pyrexia Induced Incubus**

 _In South America in 1972, Air Force Flight 971 from Uruguay carrying thirty-five passengers crashed into the Andes Mountains. Nearly thirty survived the crash but some fell victim to injuries and later an avalanche. The survivors, including members of a rugby team, had little food and no source of heat in the harsh conditions and faced with starvation were forced to make the ultimate decision. They fed on their fellow passengers preserved in the snow. Many were friends and classmates. This nightmarish ordeal lasted two months until two of the men reached a village and the last of the sixteen survivors were rescued._

 _A Wendigo is an evil spirit brought into creation by one of the ultimate acts of evil: cannibalism. They have been a part of American Indian culture since the beginning. They begin as a human who becomes depraved and cannibalistic and those cannibalistic tendencies turn the person into the monster. It is an insatiable beast. It wants flesh. It wants blood. It is never satisfied with the amount that it can eat. It is a monstrous deviant from humanity that can move between time and space to get to its victims. There is no escape._

 _The Algonquin tale of the Wendigo has as much to do with mental health as it does with cannibalism. Wendigo psychosis is a very extreme form of cabin fever. In the psychosis, someone is trapped or isolated with other people for very long periods of time. They may have plenty of provisions but the individual will believe that they will turn into a monster and cannibalize other people around them. It is a very dangerous delusion. The Wendigo psychosis is also a form of compulsion where the individual will believe that once they eat human flesh they will always want to eat human flesh and never get enough. In some ways this is similar to drug addiction._

Closing the book "American Anthropophagist", Ken Finlayson turned to look at the television in the living room. The episode "To Protect and Serve Man" of the television series "Grimm" was playing.

Terrific.

He had a fever. He was drained. He had been reading a book about Wendigos and now there was the episode of a television show featuring the beasts playing. He had closed the book! Now it was time to turn off the television!

Upon doing that, Ken picked up his phone and started to dial Heidi Weinerman's number. If he were going to talk to someone to stave off a fever-induced nightmare then he'd prefer it was his girlfriend.

It was at that point that that Ken suddenly decided to take a nap.


	2. Eat Anything

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 **Eat Anything**

With a dead squirrel in hand, Howard walked into camp. He had eaten all of the provisions and he was still hungry. While Randy, Theresa, Debbie, Bucky and Heidi could only stare in horror as Howard starting to eat the squirrel raw. Ken however could only watch knowing fully well what was going on. People could call him mad for believing such things but there were such things and he knew what would come.

"Prefer raw meat to cooked do you, Howard?" asked Ken.

"Howard don't care!" exclaimed Howard, not even looking up from the half-eaten squirrel. "Howard am hungry and so Howard eat." Leave it to Ken's subconscious to make Howard in such a way. Ken's lack of respect for Howard only caused his view of Howard to be someone who spoke in third-person even if he didn't real life.

"How long until you want us?"

"Howard already want you! All of you!"

Well, that was quite the answer. Ken merely stood there, now suddenly alone in a grey forest. The trees, the dirt, the sky, everything was grey. Everyone else was gone and the skull of a stag floated before him. A bloodcurdling cry coming out from somewhere and Ken started to feel like he was about to wake up until the trees turned into the most demonic looking totem poles imaginable and anything that would have driven Ken out of slumber was now gone.

Then Randy appeared, falling over like a dead cow and lying upon the ground. Above Randy's body crouched a creature with owl-like eyes, large claws and an emaciated body. It was Howard. One would have expected Howard to say things like "Howard eat! Howard devour! Howard chomp!" but he didn't.

It was a good thing this was a dream because the sudden shift of scenes would have been confusing.

Howard looked up from Randy's body and stared right at Ken. Then Ken woke up in a bed in a cabin.

Great. Dreams within dreams! What was next? Dreams with in dreams within dreams?

The cabin was empty aside from the bed. There was neither windows nor doors. There was not even anyone in the room. It was just Ken.

And then Howard was in the room.


	3. Begging a Monster

**Welcome back everyone. If this chapter seems a bit rushed or lacking I am working on a series bible for a series set in the Viking age with the protagonist being a Gael who has been adopted into Danish culture only to be cast out for becoming friends with a Norwegian. Anyway, just some heads up. Enjoy and review.**

 **Begging a Monster**

"Away, horrible abomination!" exclaimed Ken at the sight of Howard the Wendigo. "Get back from me! I of the bloodline of Macbeth command it!" But Howard did not leave. He did not vanish. He just stood in the middle of the room, staring at Ken in the bed. It was starting to unsettle Ken. "Speak, move around, attack, growl, do something!"

"Randy taste good." Said Howard. "Theresa taste good. Debbie taste good. Howard yet to try freak!"

"Eyes of Valeria Messalina!" exclaimed Ken. "Get away from me!"

"Howard go eat Heidi then."

"No, not her!" Ken got out of the bed and walked over to Howard. Getting down on his knees, Ken looked up into the owl eyes of the monstrous Wendigo. "Beat me! Torture me! Kill me! But please, don't harm her!"

"Howard not be reasoned with."

"Howard, she is your sister!"

"Blood not save her!"

"I love her!"

"Howard not care. Howard think freak taste different. Howard save Ken for last." Ken grabbed a tomahawk that suddenly appeared on the floor and hit Howard in the shoulder. It did not even draw blood. "That supposed do something?"

"What do I have to do to make you stay away from Heidi? Your own sister?" asked Ken.

"Freak do nothing. Freak no stop Howard."

"I can! I will!"

"Freak not." And with that Howard vanished without a trace. He was gone and Ken was now alone.


	4. Collapse of the Incubus

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 **Collapse of the Incubus**

From a cliff Ken fell into a pool of lava. Then he was placed into a casket, which in turn was placed into a crypt. He was not dead. He lived! He lived! This was a nightmare and still he would not awaken! This nightmare had previously featured things that would have caused him to awaken and yet he hadn't. Once more he had gone through things that would have featured him to awaken and yet he hadn't. Yet always the Wendigo had been present in this nightmare. Always Howard had been present. Where was the Wendigo now? Where was Howard now?

Now in a laboratory that looked like it came out of a James Whale film of the 1930's, Ken saw Heidi strapped to an operating table. The Wendigo, Howard, was there as well.

"Big sister no escape! Annihilate! Dissever! Consume!"

"Howard, she's your sister! Stop this!" exclaimed Ken.

"No Howard anymore. Only Wendigo, only butcher! Wendigo want crisp flesh!"

"If you want Heidi then you will have to kill me first." Said Ken.

"Ken, don't! He will kill you!" exclaimed Heidi.

"T-That remains to be seen." Commented Ken, waiting for the Wendigo to act. "Well, beast, what is it?"

The Wendigo did not even stop to think. He just rushed forward, forcing Ken to the ground with its claws around his neck. With great strength, the Wendigo squeezed. Ken could actually feel the life leaving him.

But this was a nightmare! Such things could not be caused by a nightmare! This was all in his mind! Surely there was someway for Ken to stop this if this was all in his mind!

In the distant past his family had a coat of arms in Scotland! There had been a heraldic beast upon it! A wyvern!

As the face of the Wendigo grew ever closer to Ken's, his eyes started to see flashes of a red wyvern on a blue shield! Between the Wendigo's face and the shield the dream kept changing until finally the shield was all that Ken saw and off of that shield came the wyvern roaring like a caged animal that had been let loose.

After that Ken and Heidi were alone in an abbey. They embraced and kissed only for Ken to finally wake up to see Howard looking down on him.


	5. Fantasy or Actuality

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 **Fantasy or Actuality**

Having had a dream within a dream and seeing Howard standing over and staring down at him, Ken did not know if he was still asleep or not. All he knew was that the person whom he had known as a Wendigo in his nightmare was before him now, resulting in Ken no longer on his couch. Ken was now on Howard who was on the floor while Ken tried to strangle him. Quite the attempted feat for a guy with no left thumb!

"You've returned to your original form have you, Wendigo?" asked Ken. "Can you move between time and space now with me having a hold on you? Or would I be dragged along?"

"K-Ken… S-Stop!" pleaded Howard, trying to keep Ken from choking him. Ken was stronger than Howard but Ken lacked a left thumb... They were very much in a stalemate. "I'm not a Wendithingy!" That certainly told Ken something. The Howard of Ken's subconscious certainly would not speak in such a manner and that manner being intelligently.

Getting off of Howard, Ken walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. "For goodness sake, Howard, when someone does not give you their address there is a reason and that reason is that I do not really care for your company!" Ken took a sip of the water. "And besides, I'm sick with a pyrexia."

"A what?" asked Howard.

"A fever!" replied Ken. He took another sip. "How did you get inside my house? I don't recall ever giving Heidi a key thus you… You didn't steal my key either… Please tell me."

"I picked your lock with a pair of Cunningham's underwear."

Ken was about to take another sip of water before stopping to turn his head and stare at Howard. "What?"

"I—"

"I heard what you said! That is impossible!"

"And yet I did it!"

"Howard, not that I am suddenly starting to enjoy this unasked for visit but I really must know. Just what exactly are you doing here?"

"I am so glad you asked that…"


	6. Wendigo Psychosis

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 **Wendigo Psychosis**

Sitting in a chair, Ken stared at Howard from across the room. He could not believe what Howard just told him.

"So, let me get this straight… A Wendigo has shown up, wounded Randy and taken Heidi captive?"

"Yes." Said Howard. "A Wendithingy hurt Cunningham and took my sister."

"It does not seem to fit a Wendigo." Stated Ken. "Hurt one person and then take another captive."

"Uh, it must be old… Or sick… Or sick and old!" exclaimed Howard.

"Then it is someone suffering from Wendigo psychosis?" asked Ken, trying to make sense of all this.

"Yes! Yes, exactly…" Howard nodded in agreement. "It is someone suffering from Wendigo psychosis."

"Then in that case I will not bring my tomahawk." Said Ken. "I will not draw blood from a lunatic."

"Why? When Randy was, uh, possessed you brought your tomahawk to school."

"That is different. I am not the person I was then. I've changed."

"A freak can't change his face." Stated Howard. "To everyone here you are just something to rubberneck! You are to be laughed at! Your hair is white long before old age, your right hand looks more like a flipper and your face, your face looks like it has an acid scar and your eyes don't look human! You belong in a cage!"

"Did you get someone to write that for you?" asked Ken. "If so, I notice that they forgot my lack of a left thumb."

"No, I made it up!"

"Well, I don't care what you think of me. Once I would have called myself handsome but I know I am not. As long as Heidi is fine with my appearance I am content. She loves me and her love makes me happy."

"That's fine but everyone else—"

"I don't care about everyone else! Heidi is in trouble and she needs me!" Ken stood up. "Lead the way, Howard!"

"Uh, right…" muttered Howard. "I will do that, freak."


	7. A Nosebleed

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 **A Nosebleed**

Arriving at the scene, Ken found that Randy's "wound" was actually a nosebleed. Turning to Howard, he gave a confused look that suggested he had actually been expecting something far worse!

"You call that a wound?" asked Ken. "I doubt it is as terrible as the nosebleed Attila choked to death on!"

"C-Choked to death on?" asked Randy terrified.

"Relax, Randy." Said Ken. "I just said I doubt it is as terrible as that one."

"It was much worse when I left!" exclaimed Howard.

"Was it, Randy?" asked Ken.

"No."

"Lies! Lies and slander!" exclaimed Howard.

"Read a dictionary have you, Howard?" asked Ken. "Is Heidi even here?"

"No, the Wendigo has her." Replied Howard.

"You know what I mean!" roared Ken. "You aren't as stupid as I imagine you are!" For Ken that was the closest thing he could get when it came to complimenting Howard. His view of Howard, besides being of low intelligence, was that Howard was a vainglorious bastard with altered priorities. "What are you up to? Some sort of cruel joke? Did you question Bucky about that one time? Is that where you got the idea of a Wendigo harming Randy and taking Heidi?"

"Ken, you are crazy!" Howard backed away a bit, shaking as he did so.

"I am not crazy!" Ken moved closer to Howard. "The more I think of it the more I think it unlikely. The condition known as Wendigo psychosis is alleged to occur among Algonquin cultures but there are no regions in the United States of America with significant Algonquin populations. The only places in the entire continent with significant Algonquin populations are Ontario and Quebec, Canadian provinces! And for an added bonus, cases of Wendigo psychosis has been sharply declining since the twentieth century which only ended a dozen plus one years ago! Do you have anything to say to that, Howard?"

Howard's response was to punch Ken in the jaw.


	8. Impact

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 **Impact**

Howard's fist connected with Ken's chin. It was painful from someone who was said to have delicate hands. Still Ken kept his mouth shut. He would not vie Howard the satisfaction of knowing he was in pain. He did not widen his eyes, he did not cry out. He merely stayed quiet. When Howard stared with wide eyes in shock then did Ken reply.

"Alright, my turn!" Ken punched Howard right in the chin, sending him to the ground.

Placing his hand to his chin, Howard felt it. "I think you broke my jaw!"

"No I didn't! You can still talk!" And there was the fact that Ken could not break someone's jaw with a punch. He just was not that strong.

"Now how about you tell me if you were telling the truth about all this." Requested Ken.

"I was!" replied Howard.

"He wasn't!" stated Randy.

"I was."

"You weren't!"

"I was!"

"You weren't!"

"I was!"

"You weren't!"

"I was!"

"Cunningham, will you shut the juice up! Yes, I lied just to prank Ken!"

"Terrific." Commented Ken. "Just what exactly is the prank you have planned for me?"


	9. Howard's Confession

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 **Howard's Confession**

"Well, I certainly would not be pulling a prank on you now!" exclaimed Howard after Ken asked about the prank he would have pulled on the latter.

"Why, Howard?" asked Ken. "Why pull a prank on me? Is it not bad enough you think of me as a freak, now you wish to prank me when I am sick?"

"I want to prank you because you are what you are! The day you were born your parents should have had you drowned!" replied Howard.

"My dad is blind and my mom looks worse than I do!" returned Ken. "Do you think they would give a damn about how I look?"

"You belong in a circus!"

"There are those more deformed than I am who were born in circuses and died in circuses!"

"You are a monster! You never should have been stanked because you already were a monster!"

"Thank you for the clarification, Howard." Deadpanned Ken. "Why the sudden interest in how I look, Howard? You haven't brought it up in a long time! Is it because I am dating Heidi? Is it because I am dating your own sister?"

"I am not going to answer that!" Now Ken was getting to something. Howard might now have been fond of Heidi by any means and from what Ken had heard Howard had been both horrified and disgusted when Randy flirted with Heidi. Randy had once even told Ken that he jokingly admitted to Howard that he found Heidi attractive under the right light, which Howard found disgusting.

"It is because he's dating Heidi!" exclaimed Randy. "Oh man, you must be even more horrified and disgusted than when NomiRandy flirted with her!"

"Nomi-what?" asked Ken, briefly turning to face Randy. Ken had only figured out Randy was the Ninja due to his voice and posture, the rest he knew nothing about. "Never mind, I don't care."

"I am even more horrified and disgusted!" confessed Howard. "Look at him! He isn't a guy! He is a thing! And as a thing he does not belong with someone… human but some animal!"


	10. Return to the Incubus

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 **Return to the Incubus**

At home, Ken thought about what Howard had said. There was nothing about what he had said to take to heart but what were the chances of everyone having that exact opinion of Ken?

"Why was I not made of stone like thee?"

The chance was impossible. There was no doubt about it! And yet why did it bother Ken so much? Was it the fear of ending up like some character of fiction such as Quasimodo or Erik the Phantom of the Opera or someone real such as Joseph Merrick?

"I am not a animal, I am a man."

The image of a horse on his bedroom wall made Ken think. The subject he was thinking of was the Centaurs of classical mythology. Some said they were fathered by Ixion, King of the Thessalian tribe known as the Lapiths, and born of Nephele, a cloud nymph in the form of Hera. Others said that they were fathered by Centaurus and born of the Magnesian mares. So Howard was of the opinion that Ken should be like Centaurus was he?

"While the old man fingers the foul, poisons poisoned shafts, an arrow slips out and stabs his left foot. Chiron groaned and hauled the iron from his flesh."

The Minotaur was fathered by a snow-white bull and born of Pasiphae, the Queen of Crete. Perhaps that was how Howard viewed him and Heidi. A beast and a person… One whose union would bring about a monster…

"My sage cried out to him: 'You think, perhaps, this is the Duke of Athens, who in the world put you to death. Get away, you beast, for this man does not come tutored by your sister; he comes to view your punishments."

But what was Ken? Was he the bull or was he the Minotaur? Was he Centaurus or was he a Centaur?

"Am I a good man? Am I a mad man?"

It was not a good day to be ill. These thoughts were bringing Ken down and his illness made him tired, no doubt he would be brought back into his fever induced nightmares.

That was exactly what happened so once again Ken met a Wendigo.

 **The End**


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